www.GoodMorningGwinnett.com Northside Hospital Gwinnett needs a $400 million expansion simply because it's become too crowded, according to a state filing last week by the facility's parent company.

Last month, Northside Hospital filed a letter of intent with the Georgia Department of Community Health to build a 10-story patient tower at its Lawrenceville facility, the largest hospital in Gwinnett. A second filing on June 2 reported by Atlanta Business Chronicle explains why.

Northside Hospital Gwinnett's "inpatient utilization" — essentially, its occupancy — has hovered between 80 and 85 percent over the last few years, according to the filing as reported by the Chronicle. Ideally, inpatient utilization for a teaching hospital should be 70 percent.

SOURCE: www.Patch.com